James T. Kirk
James Tiberius Kirk was arguably the most famous and highly-decorated starship captain in the history of the Federation Starfleet. Over his legendary career, he spent 22 years commanding the ''Constitution''-class starships [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] and [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise-A]], serving Federation interests as an explorer, soldier, time-traveller and diplomat. Early History James Tiberius ("Jim") Kirk, was a human born in 2233, in the town of Riverside, Iowa on planet Earth. (TOS: "The Deadly Years"; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) "the Executioner"]] In 2246 Kirk was living on planet Tarsus IV during a food crisis that was starving the colony of 8,000 people. Governor Kodos, sympathetic to old eugenics philosophies, tried to save a portion of his colony by killing the 4,000 colonists he deemed least desirable or able to survive. Kodos was unaware of the imminent arrival of relief ships. The 13-year-old Jim Kirk was one of only nine eyewitnesses to the massacre. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Starfleet Academy By 2250, Kirk had returned to Earth, ready to begin his starfleet training. With some assistance from a man named Mallory, he was accepted into the Starfleet Academy in San Francisco. (TOS: "The Apple") in 2250.]] Cadet Kirk soon caught the attention of a boisterous, bullying Irishman named Finnegan. The upperclassman evidently hazed "Jamie-boy" mercilessly throughout their shared time at the Academy. Sixteen years later, Kirk's antipathy for Finnegan was strong enough to be sensed by the Amusement Park planet, which produced a simulacrum that Kirk could pummel for satisfaction. (TOS: "Shore Leave") In his plebe year, Kirk was a participant in the successful peace mission to the planet Axanar. He was awarded the Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission. (TOS: "Court Martial", "Whom Gods Destroy") Kirk's academic studies introduced him to men he would encounter later in his career. Among his more prominent teachers was John Gill, the noted professor of history and cultural observer. Captain Garth of Izar's exploits were required reading for cadets, and the famous captain joined Kirk's pantheon of heroes. Another subject, the "Pasteur of archeological medicine", Dr. Roger Korby, became a man Kirk wanted to meet. (TOS: "Patterns of Force", "Whom Gods Destroy", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") Kirk began a friendship with instructor Lieutenant Ben Finney that continued into their service together aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. Kirk and underclassman Gary Mitchell became fast friends after Mitchell's admission to the Academy. Mitchell would later serve under Kirk as navigator aboard the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]]. (TOS: "Court Martial", "Where No Man Has Gone Before") During command training, Kirk confronted the ''Kobayashi Maru'' scenario, a simulation used to evaluate a student's reactions to a "no-win" battle and rescue situation. Kirk refused to accept his first two defeats. Before his third attempt, Kirk secretly reprogrammed the simulation computer, consequently beating the "no-win" scenario and earning a commendation for original thinking. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Junior Officer Kirk was comissioned as an officer in the Federation Starfleet with the serial number SC937-0176CEC. (TOS: "Court Martial") In the early 2250s, Kirk served as an ensign, along with his friend Lieutenant Ben Finney, aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. Finney made a mistake nearly catastrophic to the ship. The incident was logged by Kirk, resulting in his friend's reprimand and fall to the bottom of the promotion list. (TOS: "Court Martial") As a young lieutenant in 2254, Kirk was assigned to command his first planetary survey mission, on Neural. Kirk met and befriended one of the planet's natives, the Hill man Tyree. His report described a primitive but promising culture, and Starfleet endorsed his recommended policy of non-interference. (TOS: "A Private Little War") Kirk began service under Captain Garrovick after the Academy. Kirk's first deep space assignment was as a lieutenant aboard Garrovick's [[USS Farragut|USS Farragut]] (NCC-1647), serving as a tactical officer. (TOS: "Obsession") The Farragut engaged the dikironium cloud creature at planet Tycho IV in 2257. Captain Garrovick and 200 of the ship's crew were killed by the creature. Farragut's record tapes of the event included Lieutenant Kirk insisting blaming himself for the disaster, citing his delay in firing the ship's phaser banks at the creature as he lost consciousness. The Farragut's executive officer disagreed, stating, "Lieutenant Kirk is a fine young officer who performed with uncommon bravery." (TOS: "Obsession") The USS Enterprise and her Five-Year Mission (NCC-1701)]] Kirk's Starfleet service through the late 2250s and early 2260s was rewarded with a rapid rise through the ranks. At 31 years of age in 2264, he was promoted to Captain. Not only the youngest captain in the fleet's history to date, Kirk was slated to command one of the twelve ''Constitution''-class starships, the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701). Kirk famously commanded the Enterprise and her namesake for twenty-two years, but her historic five-year mission from 2265 to 2270 made him a legend in space exploration. (Star Trek: Generations; VOY: "Q2") George Samuel Kirk, along with his wife and three sons, joined his brother for a farewell visit before the Enterprise departed. It was the last time Kirk saw Sam alive. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") Kirk's living quarters aboard the Enterprise were on Deck 5, room "3F 121". (TOS: "Journey to Babel") Year One Kirk's first major step, attempting an extra-galactic probe in 2265, proved to be a disaster. Discovering a recorder-marker from the [[SS Valiant|SS Valiant]] that described a catastrophic disaster following a visit to the Galaxy's edge, Kirk pushed on, and encountered the Galactic barrier for his first time. The Enterprise failed to breach the barrier, and barely escaped destruction. With warp engines badly damaged, Enterprise limped under impulse power towards the Delta Vega lithium cracking station. Kirk's Navigator, his best friend Gary Mitchell began a transformation triggered by the barrier, developing psychic powers that progressed rapidly, with a commensurate loss of his humanity. Ignoring Spock's advice to destroy Mitchell immediately, Kirk hesitated until after Mitchell killed helmsman Lee Kelso. On the surface of Delta Vega, Kirk hunted Mitchell, only able to kill him with the help another officer undergoing the sane transformation as Mitchell, Dr. Elizabeth Dehner. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") The tragedy forced Kirk to re-shuffle Enterprise's command crew. Commander Spock, a legacy-officer from Captain Christopher Pike, remained Science officer and Kirk acknowledged him as First officer. A new Chief medical officer, Dr. Leonard McCoy replaced Dr. Mark Piper. Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott remained Chief engineer. Lieutenant Uhura became Communications officer and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu was transferred to the helm. Kirk was unable to settle on a regular Navigator for another year. In 2266, Kirk made first contact with the First Federation, when the Enterprise was detained by Captain Balok and his massive spaceship Fesarius. Both captains bluffed ferociously, but Kirk's poker-face held. Balok proved to be quite friendly, eager to begin a cultural exchange. Later that year, Kirk and crew made a brief first contact with the mythical Thasians. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Charlie X") On stardate 1709.2, Kirk repelled the first Romulan incursion of Federation space in over a century. Four Federation outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone were destroyed by a Romulan Bird-of-Prey equipped with a cloak and a powerful plasma torpedo system. Kirk engaged and pursued the Romulan ship, disabling it before the Romulan Commander orders his ship's self-destruction. Kirk and his bridge crew became the first Starfleet officers to visually contact a Romulan, revealing their Vulcanoid appearance. (TOS: "Balance of Terror") Enterprise reached Exo III on stardate 2712.4, where Roger Korby was found after years of silence, exploring and exploiting a sophisticated android manufacturing technology, the legacy of a long-dead civilization. Korby had replaced his own damaged body, transplanting his personality into an android replica, and built himself a beautiful companion, Andrea. After exhibiting his madness, the android Korby was destroyed. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") On stardate 2817.6, Kirk responded to the call of Thomas Leighton, a fellow survivor and witness to the horror of Tarsus IV. Leighton suspected the leader of a traveling theater troupe, actor Anton Karidian of being Kodos "the Executioner", a man long thought dead. After Leighton's murder and the revelation of other witnesses' deaths, Kirk convinced Lenore Karidian to bring the acting troupe aboard Enterprise. Attempted murders of Kirk and Enterprise crewmember Kevin Riley (another survivor) led Kirk to confront Karidian/Kodos, discovering the recent killings were the acts of his mad daughter, trying to protect her tormented aging father. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Kirk's command was jeopardized by Spock when he kidnapped his horribly crippled former commander, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, and comandeered the Enterprise. Spock locked the ship on course to Talos IV before submitting to a tribunal of Kirk, Pike, and Commodore Mendez. Spock's crimes were in violation of General Order 7 and punishable by death. After Spock's ultimate goal was revealed, to allow Pike, a starfleet hero, to live a semblance of normality under Talosian illusion, Starfleet declined to prosecute the matter. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I & Part II") Year Two Kirk became the first Federation starship captain to ever face a court martial, accused of causing the death of Ben Finney. Kirk employed the defense attorney Samuel T. Cogley, and was prosecuted by his former flame Areel Shaw at his trial on Starbase 11, convened by Commodore Stone. Kirk was exonerated after Finney was discovered alive, having faked his death and the evidence implicating Kirk. (TOS: "Court Martial") Kirk made first contact with the Gorn and Metrons on stardate 3045.6. Finding the destruction of a Federation base on Cestus III, the Enterprise gave chase to the Gorn ship responsible. Kirk and the Gorn captain were taken from their respective ships to a desolate planet by the Metrons, who forced the two captains to fight each other, threatening to destroy the loser's vessel. Kirk was victorious, but refused to kill the Gorn. The Metrons were impressed by Kirk's exhibition of mercy and allowed both ships to go free. (TOS: "Arena") in 2267]] The Enterprise discovered a group of genetically-engineered Augments from Earth's Eugenics Wars, led by Khan Noonien Singh on stardate 3141.9 . Khan and his followers attempted to take over the Enterprise, but were ultimately foiled. Somewhat respectful of Khan's integrity and abilities, Kirk exiled Khan and his people on planet Ceti Alpha V, where he would have a chance to "tame a world" without threatening others. (TOS: "Space Seed") On stardate 3192.1, the Enterprise was caught up in a 'civilized' interplanetary war between Eminiar VII and Vendikar, whose engagements were fought only by computers, and reported 'casualties' among the citizenry reported to death chambers. After the Enterprise was declared a target and the crew ordered to die, Kirk destroyed the Eminiar computers, forcing them to treat with their enemy or face a war that would destroy their civilization. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon") The Enterprise discovered the first known silicon-based life form, a sentient Horta matriarch, on the mining colony Janus VI on stardate 3196.1. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark") At the start of the first Federation-Klingon War in 2267, Kirk and Spock attempted to convince the apparently-primitive Organians to accept Federation protection. When Kirk and Spock began conducting a guerilla war against the Klingon occupation, Organians abandoned their false humanoid forms and intervened, forcing an end to the interstellar war, imposing the Treaty of Organia. Organians predicted that, in time, they would eventually become friends. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy") By this time in 2267, Kirk finally settles on Ensign Pavel Chekov as the Enterprise regular navigator, the post once held by Gary Mitchell. Kirk, Spock and McCoy, discovered Zefram Cochrane the inventor of the warp drive, missing for 150 years, on a planetoid, kept alive and young by the Companion energy being. Kirk did not log the encounter. (TOS: "Metamorphosis") A distress call led Kirk to the crippled [[USS Constellation|USS Constellation]], nearly destroyed by an ancient planet killer deemed a Doomsday machine. After the unbalanced Commodore Matthew Decker made a suicide run with a stolen shuttlecraft, Kirk piloted the Constellation inside the machine, detonating the engines and destroying the device. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine") A transporter malfunction swapped the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] landing party with a corresponding landing party from a parallel "Mirror Universe", where the United Federation of Planets had been replaced with a savage, oppressive, Terran Empire. The [[ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|ISS Enterprise]] was captained by a sadistic alternate version of Captain Kirk, whose first officer was a ruthless, bearded Spock. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror") Enterprise was dispatched to Deep Space Station K-7 on 4523.6, where Kirk's patience was tested by Klingons, Federation Bureaucrats, and the cuddly but prodigious vermin, tribbles. Unknown to Kirk, his actions were observed and facilitated by Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the [[USS Defiant|USS Defiant]] (NX-74205), brought from the 24th Century via a Bajoran Orb. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles", "Trials and Tribble-ations") Year Three Kirk found the contaminated society of Sigma Iotia II, based on 1920's Chicago gang culture, puzzling at first, but he quickly warmed to it. Uniting the world's 'gangs' under one 'boss', the Iotans became a Federation protectorate. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action") in 2268.]] Kirk returned to Neural, the site of his first assignment, on stardate 4211.4. Klingons had begun supplying the primitive native's villagers with firearms, leading them to war on the neighboring Hill People. Kirk decided to supply the hill people with similar weaponry, escalating the conflict, but putting both sides on equal footing. (TOS: "A Private Little War") Scouts from the Kelvan Empire of the Andromeda Galaxy hijacked the Enterprise for their return voyage on stardate 4657.5. The Enterprise, modified with Kelvan technology, became the first Federation starship known to cross the Galactic barrier, briefly leaving the boundary of Milky Way Galaxy before Kirk's senior officers overwhelmed the Kelvans and returned to Federation space. (TOS: "By Any Other Name") After John Gill's failure to report in from his cultural observation mission to Ekos, the Enterprise was assigned to investigate. Kirk found his old professor had developed an idealization of utopian fascism and abandoned observation for intervention, creating a Nazi-like world government that overwhelmed Gil's best intentions. Kirk aroused the subverted Gill in time to avert Ekos' impending war with neighboring Zeon, and heard Gill recant his philosophies before he died. (TOS: "Patterns of Force") Inexplicably to his crew, Kirk began exhibiting bizarre behavior on stardate 5027.3, and ordered the ''Enterprise'' across the Romulan Neutral Zone . Three Romulan starships detained the Enterprise, and Kirk and Spock met the Romulan commander aboard her ship, where Kirk's death was faked. The ruse allowed Kirk, surgically altered to look Romulan, to infiltrate the Romulan vessel and steal their Cloaking device. Using the device, the Enterprise cloaked and escaped to Federation space, taking along the captured Romulan Commander. The entire operation had been designed to give the Federation deniability in case of failure, and place the culpability on Kirk. (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident") Near Tholian space on stardate 5693.2, the Enterprise discovered the [[USS Defiant (NCC-1764)|USS Defiant]], adrift and its' crew dead, trapped in an spatial interphase. Tholian commander Loskene responded to the tresspass of 'recently annexed' Tholian space. Kirk was lost in the interphase and presumed dead. The Enterprise exchanged fire with the Tholians, and the unstable region incited madness among the crew. A second Tholian vessel joined the engagement, producing a web to ensnare the Enterprise. After various crew witness Kirk's spectral image, he was retrieved from interphase, and Enterprise used the rift to escape Tholian entrapment. (TOS: "The Tholian Web") Year Four in 2269.]] Enterprise visited the rehabilitation colony Elba II on stardate 5718.3, where Kirk's longtime-hero, Captain Garth of Izar was committed as a patient. Garth, capable of cellular metamorphosis, attempted to escape and commandeer the Enterprise by assuming the visage of Kirk. Spock was able to determine which man was truly his captain, and Garth was returned to rehabilitation. (TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy") On stardate 5725.3, the Enterprise encountered a community of non-corporeal energy beings embodying the souls of the last 100 Zetarans. Seeking life-forms that would allow them to live again, they killed the custodians of Memory Alpha, wiping the Federation's central archive of accumulated knowledge. (TOS: "The Lights of Zetar") A deadly plague stuck the crew of the Enterprise before stardate 5843.7. Seeking a cure on Holberg 917G, Kirk encountered Flint, a near-immortal human. Born as Akharin, during Earth's 4th Millennium BCE in Mesopotamia, Flint was later known as Solomon, Alexander the Great and Leonardo da Vinci, among other famous identities. Kirk fell in love with Rayna Kapec, an android built by Flint to give him company in his final days of seclusion. A century later, Captain Janeway of the [[USS Voyager|USS Voyager]] expressed some doubt about this encounter. (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah", VOY: "Concerning Flight") The Enterprise was greeted by an incredibly realistic simulacrum of Kirk's hero, Abraham Lincoln on stardate 5906.4. On the surface of the planet Excalbia, a silicon-based Excalbian re-created the historical figures Surak, Genghis Khan, Colonel Green, Kahless and Zora. Kirk, Spock, Lincoln and Surak were pitted against the others as means for the Excalbians to understand the nature and strength of Good vs. Evil. (TOS: "The Savage Curtain") Year Five After the freighter ''Huron'' was attacked and looted, the starship ''Enterprise'' captured the Orion vessel responsible. The incident marked the end of Orion's official neutrality. (TAS: "The Pirates of Orion") The Enterprise encountered Kukulkan on stardate 6063.4. The benevolent alien being periodically visited ancient Earth civilizations and influenced their architecture and agricultural development. Kukulkan revealed that he had visited the Egyptian, Mayan and Aztec cultures, where he was taken for a god. (TAS: "How Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth") Reaching the end of her five-year deployment in 2270, Kirk ordered the Enterprise set on a course returning her to Earth. Time Travels Several of Kirk's voyages involved travel through time. According to the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations, Kirk, who sometimes ignored regulations when he felt it was for the greater good, amassed 17 separate temporal violations during his career, more than any other person on file. (DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations") Observing planet Psi 2000 in it's death throes of 2266, the Enterprise was endangered after the engines were shut down and she began to fall from orbit. An emergency cold-restart of the engines threw the ship three days into the past. (TOS: "The Naked Time") Escaping the gravity well of a black star, the Enterprise was hurled through space and time to Earth of 1969. As the Enterprise skimmed the upper atmosphere, the United States Air Force scrambled F-104 Starfighter jets to intercept it. One pilot, John Christopher, was brought aboard. Kirk beamed down to Christopher's Omaha, Nebraska military base to destroy photographic evidence of the Enterprise. A method developed to return to their own time, warping around the sun's gravity well in a slingshot maneuver, allowed Christopher's replacement before his close-encounter and the return of the Enterprise to her own time of 2267. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday") ]] In 2267, after experiencing violent time distortions, the Enterprise discovered the source, the Guardian of Forever. McCoy, delusional from an accidental cordrazine overdose, entered the time portal, altering history. Kirk and Spock followed, appearing in 1930 New York City on Earth. Finding shelter in exchange for work, Kirk fell in love with his beautiful, idealistic benefactor, Edith Keeler. Spock discovered that history's recorded death of Keeler was stopped by McCoy, and Kirk was forced to restrain the doctor from saving her life, restoring the timeline. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever") In 2268 Kirk was ordered to repeat the slingshot maneuver, taking the Enterprise back to 1969 on a mission of historical observation. Intercepting the enigmatic agent Gary Seven, Kirk attempted to stop his interference, but later cooperated with Seven's effort to avert a nuclear exchange between the United States and the Soviet Union. (TOS: "Assignment: Earth") :On screen, Kirk went back in time on at least seven occasions, in TOS: "The Naked Time, "Assignment: Earth", "Tomorrow is Yesterday", "The City on the Edge of Forever", "All Our Yesterdays"; TAS: "Yesteryear" and ''Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and forward at least once, in Star Trek: Generations.'' Later Career in 2273.]] The [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] returned to Earth in 2270. Kirk's successful mission resulted in his promotion to rear admiral and a posting as Chief of Starfleet Operations at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco for the following two and a half years. Kirk recommended Willard Decker to replace him as Enterprise captain while the ship underwent an extensive refit at the San Francisco Fleet Yards. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) In late 2272-early 2273, Earth was threatened by the approaching entity V'Ger, an energy cloud assimilating objects in it's path. The only starship positioned to intercept it was the Enterprise, it's refit nearly complete but still in drydock. Kirk convinced Admiral Nogura that he was the best choice to face its threat, and rushed the Enterprise back into service, assuming the rank of captain for the duration of the mission. The entity proved to be the 20th Century earth probe Voyager 6, having amassed great power and self-awareness in it's travels. After the sacrifices of First officer Decker and Lieutenant Ilia united V'Ger's mechanical nature with it's human origins, the entity disappeared. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) Admiral Kirk kept his flag on the Enterprise, commanding her through the 2270s. Kirk retired from Starfleet (albeit briefly) in 2281 to pursue a number of personal goals and affairs. (Star Trek: Generations) The Wrath and Wake of Khan Kirk returned to Starfleet in 2284 and took a position in the admiralty supervising command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy. Kirk expressed dissatisfaction with the duty, and eagerly boarded the Enterprise, now commanded by Captain Spock, as an observer to a cadet training cruise in 2285. Khan Noonien Singh escaped from his exile on Ceti Alpha V and hijacked the [[USS Reliant|USS Reliant]], leading to his theft of the Genesis Device from the Regula I space station. The Enterprise was tasked to investigate, and Spock deferred his command to Admiral Kirk. The subsequent engagement with his old enemy was tumultuous for Kirk, including a meeting with his estranged son and the death of his friend of twenty years, Spock. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Enterprise's return to Earth was solemn. The loss of Spock impacted Kirk deeply, and McCoy showed signs of mental illness. Hoping to return to the Genesis Planet after the battle-damaged Enterprise was fully repaired, Kirk's hopes were dashed with Admiral Morrow's announcement that the starship would be decommissioned. Ambassador Sarek approached Kirk, leading to the discovery that Spock's "katra" survived in McCoy. Kirk conspired with his senior officers and stole the Enterprise from Earth Spacedock in order to recover Spock's body from the Genesis Planet, to bring it, and his "katra", to Vulcan. At the Genesis planet, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey's attack left the Enterprise disabled. After setting a self-destruct sequence, Kirk and his crew abandoned the ship for the surface. The Enterprise was destroyed, taking a Klingon boarding party along with it. Finding Spock's body reanimated by Genesis, Kirk took the Bird-of-Prey to Vulcan, where Spock's katra and body were reunited. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) After three months on Vulcan, Kirk and his crew departed (aboard the Bird-of-Prey re-named [[HMS Bounty|HMS Bounty]]) for Earth in 2285, to face their charges of violating nine Starfleet General orders and regulations. During the voyage, a mysterious Probe besieged Earth, communicating only in Whale song, resulting in a planetary distress signal. Determining the Probe's objective, Kirk used the slingshot effect, taking the Bird of Prey back in time to 1986. Successfully retrieving two humpback whales that could converse with the Probe, Kirk redeemed humanity's extinction of a sentient species, and saved Earth from an environmental catastrophe. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) The USS Enterprise-A of the ''Enterprise''-A in 2293.]] Following the Whale probe incident, the Federation President declared, "we are forever in your debt". In light of Kirk's and his crew's recent heroics, all charges facing his crew were dismissed, with the exception of one against Admiral Kirk: disobeying the orders of a superior officer. Kirk's 'punishment' was a permanent reduction in rank to Captain and a return to the duty that had served the Federation so well. In his honor, a ''Constitution''-class starship was re-christened [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-A) and assigned to Kirk in 2286. He commanded the Enterprise-A for the next seven years. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Kirk's career culminated in 2293, when the Enterprise-A was assigned to escort the Klingon battlecruiser Qo'noS One, bearing Klingon Chancellor Gorkon to Earth for a peace conference. Kirk opposed Gorkon's peace initiative, and especially resented the fact that he was chosen as the Federation's olive branch. A cabal of Federation and Klingon officials instigated an attack on Qo'noS One that appeared to come from the Enterprise-A, preceding the assassination of Gorkon. Kirk (along with McCoy) was arrested by the Klingons, tried and convicted for the murder of Gorkon and sentenced to the Rura Penthe penal asteroid. In violation of orders and treaties, Spock took the Enterprise-A into Klingon space, eluded detection and rescued Kirk and McCoy. Following his victory over General Chang above planet Khitomer, Kirk saved the Federation president from assassination, and the historic Khitomer Conference continued. After a final joy-ride on the heading "second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning", the Enterprise-A was decommissioned, and Kirk retired from Starfleet. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) The Nexus In 2293, Kirk joined his friends Montgomery Scott and Pavel Chekov as the honored guests of Captain John Harriman on the maiden voyage of the ''Excelsior''-class starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise-B]]. The event, including a media frenzy surrounding Kirk, was little more than a ceremonial cruise, as the Enterprise-B was not yet fully crewed or equipped for regular duty. Soon after departure, the ship received a distress signal from two ''Whorfin''-class ships, transporting El Aurian refugees, trapped in an energy distortion called the Nexus. With the advice of Kirk, and the help Scotty and Chekov, Harriman's rescue mission was a partial success, but the Enterprise-B succumbed to the Nexus' gravimetric field. Declining command, Kirk successfully modified the ship's deflector relays and enabled the ship's escape, but not before a burst of energy breached the secondary hull. Kirk was lost, and presumed dead. Events of 2371 revealed Kirk had entered the Nexus alive, yet unaware of the passing of 78 years. Discovered by ''Enterprise''-D Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Kirk agreed to leave his idyllic but unsatisfying existence in the Nexus, to help Picard stop the deranged scientist Dr. Tolian Soran from destroying the Veridian system. Kirk's aid helped save the Veridian IV inhabitants, as well as the crew of the Enterprise-D, but the effort ended Kirk's life. Kirk's last words, spoken to Picard, were, "it was fun... oh my". He was buried in a simple stone cairn on a Veridian III mountain top, echoing the burial of his friend Gary Mitchell 96 years before. (Star Trek: Generations) Intellect and Personality .]] After his transporter personality split in 2266, Kirk was forcibly introduced to the competing elements in his personality, described most roughly as passive and aggressive. One half of that nature manifested itself in Kirk's frequent melancholy about the state of his life: when he was aboard ship, he longed for a life of ease; when moored, his thoughts were with the Enterprise. His violent tendencies ranged from his enthusiastic beating of Finnegan and willingness to provoke Spock, into his well-nursed hatred of Klingons and obvious satisfaction when ordering a decisive photon torpedo salvo. Evaluating Khan in his first encounter, Kirk admitted,"We humans, have a streak of barbarism in us. Appalling, but there, nevertheless." (TOS: "The Enemy Within", "The Naked Time", "Shore Leave", "Space Seed"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) The flexibility of his nature was a large part of his success. The man sensitive enough to tread lightly among gangster Iotians in the manner of their culture, was the same who saw the plain necessity in destroying the war-computers that were a cultural pillar of Eminiar VII. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action", "A Taste of Armageddon") Kirk had a strong moral center and devotion to the values he found embodied in the Federation, spending most of his life in it's service and defense. In numerous incidents, he risked his life for causes he deemed just, including his final act on Veridian III. His confidence in his righteousness sometimes led him to creatively interpret, and outright disobey, his orders. Witnessing the massacre of the 4,000 innocents at the age of 13 on Tarsus IV could have been a pivotal moment in developing this aspect of his personality. (Star Trek: Generations), (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Kirk embraced the culture and history of his homeland, especially western lore and the life of his hero Abraham Lincoln. Recognizing the document mirrored on the planet Omega IV, he could recite the preamble of the U.S. Constitution from memory. His extensive knowledge of his ancestral background would serve him well on numerous occasions. In travels to Earth's past, or on planets mirroring Earth's development, Kirk was able to function and pass himself off as native of the time or culture with (more or less) ease. (TOS: "Spectre of the Gun", "The Savage Curtain", "The Omega Glory") A charismatic and successful leader, Kirk inspired loyalty from his officers, some of whom would spend the bulk of their careers under his command. His command crew risked their careers at his call, conspiring to steal the Enterprise on a mission to save their comrade Spock. A commander in his own right, Hikaru Sulu disobeyed his orders to aid Kirk at the battle of Khitomer. After his recovery from a transporter loop in 2369, Montgomery Scott's first assumption was that Kirk himself had taken the Enterprise out of mothballs to come to his rescue. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; TNG: "Relics") .]] Beyond his command skills, Kirk exhibited a comprehensive knowledge of starship systems. When Ben Finney's sabotage of the Enterprise caused her to lose orbit above Starbase 11 in 2267, Kirk was capable of scrambling up a Jeffries tube to effect the necessary repairs. After it's near destruction by the Doomsday machine, Kirk directed Scotty and a skeleton crew in the salvage of the [[USS Constellation|USS Constellation]] (NCC-1017), recovering enough power and control functions to pilot the hulk, solo, into the machine's maw. After the Enterprise's major refit of the early 2270s, Kirk's extended desk-duty showed in his unfamiliarity with the new systems, a mistake he would correct over the years. Kirk's last act of 2293 was the successful modification of the Enterprise-B's navigational deflector, saving the ship from destruction by the Nexus. (TOS: "Court Martial", "The Doomsday Machine"; Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: Generations) Tactics Kirk's historic role as an explorer was rivaled by his reputation for tactical genius. In several notable engagements, Kirk used the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] effectively as a weapon of war. In 2269, a simulacrum of Abraham Lincoln was struck by Kirk's propensity to take the offensive when required. He asked of Kirk, "Do you drink whiskey?" Kirk responded, "Occasionally. Why?" Lincoln answered, "Because you have qualities very much like those of another man I admire greatly, General Grant." (TOS: "The Savage Curtain") As a means to avoid battle, or to divert his opponent long enough so he could get he upper hand, Kirk frequently 'bluffed' or lied his way through a parley. In two incidents, Kirk used his corbomite gambit. He misled Khan into expecting valuable data, rather than a devastating phaser strike. His capitulation to Kruge was a lure to draw the bulk of the Klingon crew to the Enterprise before he ordered it's destruction. Perhaps Kirk's most intricate, audacious misdirection of an enemy is found in the events leading up to his theft of a Romulan cloaking device in 2168. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Deadly Years", "The Enterprise Incident"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) The Romulan incursion of Federation space in 2166 led Kirk into a drawn-out cat-and-mouse chase against a commander in whom Kirk would find an instinctual rapport. The Romulan Bird-of-Prey had the ability to render itself invisible as well as delivering a powerful plasma torpedo that nearly overwhelmed the Enterprise. Both captains used tactics simulating more damage than actually received. Kirk was able to briefly track the Romulan, mirroring it's movements to simulate a sensor ghost. Finally, emerging from the camouflage of a comet's tail, Kirk was able to disable the Romulan, who ordered a self-destruct rather than surrender. (TOS: "Balance of Terror") In 2267, Kirk found the [[USS Constellation|USS Constellation]], severly damaged and adrift in space, with only Commodore Matthew Decker aboard. The Constellation had been attacked by a huge, ancient device, and the crew evacuated to a nearby planet, which the planet killer destroyed and consumed. Kirk directed salvage of the Constellation and Decker was sent to the Enterprise. Upon return of the doomsday machine, the unmoored Decker assumed command of Enterprise, endangering it in a useless attack. Kirk was able to maneuver the Constellation enough to distract the device. Decker was relieved, but stole a shuttlecraft he took into the maw of the device, destroying himself. Inspired by Decker's mad attempt, Kirk piloted the Constellation to the machine's mouth, detonating the engine's antimatter and destroying the device. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine") disabled in 2285.]] A textbook example of Kirk's ability to wield the Enterprise against a well-matched opponent is in the encounter of the USS Reliant, a ''Miranda''-class starship commandeered by the Augment Khan Noonien Singh at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula, actually a series of two successive engagements, in 2285. Kirk admitted to getting "caught with my britches down", at first, but he used his long starship experience and Khan's own egomanical psychology to level the playing field and prevail, though it would come at a great personal cost. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Klingons, in particular, recognized Kirk as a worthy opponent. The legendary Kor, frustrated by Organian interference that made battle against Kirk impossible, whistfully surmised, "it would have been glorious" in 2267. Captain Klaa believed defeating Kirk would make him the greatest warrior in the galaxy in 2287. (TOS: "Errand of Mercy", Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Kirk led the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise-A]] towards Khitomer in his final starship battle of 2293. The engagement, against a Klingon Bird-of-Prey capable of firing while cloaked, effectively nullified Kirk's tactical skills, but illustrated the competence and loyalty he inspired in his crew. General Chang, taunted playfully ("I can see you, Kirk. Can you see me?") before his first torpedo struck the Enterprise saucer section. Kirk ordered the Enterprise to back off sharply, giving Chang momentary pause before launching a second torpedo. After a third hit, the musings of Spock and Uhura concerning the Klingon's gas-emissions inspired a "surgery" on a torpedo, adjusting it to track the Klingon's impulse engine exhaust. The arrival of Hikaru Sulu's [[USS Excelsior|USS Excelsior]] allowed Kirk to hang in the fight long enough to let Spock and McCoy ("Lock and Load!") finish the torpedo. Chang could only stare at the bloodhound torpedo, and quote a little ''Hamlet'' before the impact revealed his position. The Bird-of-Prey was slammed with multiple salvos from Enterprise and Excelsior and destroyed. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Mental Assaults and Trauma As a boy, Kirk witnessed the massacre of the 4,000 colonists on Tarsus IV. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") Succumbing to the effects of polywater intoxication in 2266, Kirk contemplated aloud the heavy responsibility of command, and the price the Enterprise exacted from his personal life:"this vessel... I give, she takes... She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers." Ultimately, he gathered himself, speaking directly to the Enterprise, "Never lose you... Never." (TOS: "The Naked Time") Kirk learned something about his own nature after a transporter malfunction in 2267. Kirk was split into two physical duplicates, one intuitive and passive, the other violent and passionate. While separated, the survival of both personalities were threatened, and a way was eventually found to recombine the two. (TOS: "The Enemy Within") .]] At the Tantalus Penal Colony in 2266, Doctor Tristan Adams used his neural neutralizer device as an instrument torture on Kirk. The device emptied a victims mind of thought, leaving it vulnerable to suggestion. Adams included conditioning that made him feel love for Dr. Helen Noel, including deep pain at the idea of her loss. Kirk was able to resist long-term damage from the device. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind") Under the euphoric, enervating influence of Omicron pod plants, the entire Enterprise crew mutinied, abandoning the ship for planet Omicron Ceti III in 2267. Kirk was the last to fall under the influence, but his subconscious anger at the idea of leaving the ship rose to the surface, and broke the pod plant's effect. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise") Upon his second encounter with the dikironium cloud creature in 2267, Kirk re-experienced the feelings of guilt over his actions in the previous, disastrous incident, aboard the [[USS Farragut|USS Farragut]]. Exhibiting a single-minded fixation on the destruction of the creature, McCoy and Spock questioned Kirk's emotional condition. Undeterred, Kirk, with the help of his former Captain's son, Ensign Garrovick, lured the creature to planet Tycho IV, destroying it with an antimatter bomb. (TOS: "Obsession") In 2268 during a survey of the Amerind planet, Kirk was lost, suffering from amnesia, among the transplanted Native American inhabitants. Under the name Kirok, he was taken for a god and married Miramanee. Briefly, Kirk/Kirok was able to experience a taste of a simple, natural existence. Miramanee was killed along with an unborn child, after Kirok failed to prove his godhood. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") After Kirk's competition with Flint for the love of the android Rayna Kapec resulted in her destruction. Spock took an extraordinary liberty with the grieving Kirk, melding with the captain without his consent, whispering the word "forget". (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah") Kirk's mind was displaced into a receptacle in 2268, briefly allowing the ancient being Sargon to live as a corporeal being. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow") In 2287 the Vulcan renegade Sybok offered Kirk the chance to 'ease his pain', as he had seemingly demonstrated on Spock and McCoy. Kirk refused the offer angrily, insisting "I NEED my pain", suggesting he used the tragedies of his life as an impetus to drive himself forward. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Vitality The demands of Kirk's career required his best possible health, closely overseen by Dr. McCoy. Kirk sparred with his crew in the Enterprise Gymnasium for exercise. Quarterly physical checks tested his physical fitness as well as general health. In spite of his evident strength and conditioning, Kirk did tend to put on a few extra pounds from time to time. When Dr. McCoy noticed a gain, he wasn't afraid to adjust Kirk's diet card, angering Kirk with a plate of dietary salad. (TOS: "Charlie X", "The Corbomite Maneuver") Kirk spent a huge portion of his life aboard Starships, and consequently relished the times he could spend outdoors. He was an accomplished equestrian, and kept a horse at a mountain cabin that he owned during his first retirement. Another companion at his mountain cabin was Butler, his Great Dane. He sold the cabin sometime after his return to Starfleet. A personal challenge that nearly cost him his life was free-climbing the sheer El Capitan mountain face in Yosemite National Park on Earth. (Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Personal Combat Kirk's command style frequently brought him in close proximity to his enemies, often resulting in hand-to-hand combat. His idiosyncratic martial-arts style used hand-chops to the neck, wrestling throws, round-house punches, two-fisted swings and open-hand slaps in varying combinations. A variety of enemy guards and henchmen were overwhelmed by one or two of Kirk's blows. A typical example of Kirk's fighting style in a more extended bout occurred in 2265 on the surface of Delta Vega, in the attempt to kill his friend Gary Mitchell. (TOS: "A Piece of the Action", "Where No Man Has Gone Before") At times, Kirk was clearly out-classed by a larger, more powerful opponent, and left to his wits, the aid of his crew, or pure luck. Pitted against a Gorn in 2267, he held his own for a time, until his injuries forced withdrawal and a search for a more efficient weapon. In 2254 and again in 2267 he wrestled a ferocious Mugatu of Neural. When attacked by the massive ancient android Ruk on Exo III in 2266, Kirk could do little but hold on for the ride. (TOS: "Arena", "A Private Little War", "What Are Little Girls Made Of?") On the Amusement Park planet in 2267, Kirk was shocked by the appearance of Finnegan, his Academy nemesis who hadn't seemed to age. The two proceeded to slug each other until they were bleeding and exhausted. Perhaps the longest fist-fight of his life, it was clearly the most satisfying. (TOS: "Shore Leave") Kirk fought his friend and first officer Spock on three occasions when the half-Vulcan lost his normal emotional control. A series of slaps delivered to Spock in 2266 resulted in a blow that sent Kirk over a table. In 2267, after necessarily cruel taunts, Spock tossed Kirk back and forth across the transporter room, regaining control just before he crushed his captain's skull. Spock's blood fever during his Pon farr of 2267 made him so dangerous, Dr. McCoy faked Kirk's death before Spock could kill him. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "This Side of Paradise", "Amok Time") Ailments and Injuries While Enterprise transported ambassadors to the Babel Conference of 2267, Kirk was stabbed, puncturing his left lung, by an Orion agent disguised as an Andorian. (TOS: "Journey to Babel") Early in his life, Kirk contracted and nearly died from Vegan choriomeningitis. Although he was cured, the organisms of the disease continued to be carried in his blood. At the end of the year 2268, the governing council of the planet Gideon would attempt to use these organisms to control their planet's overpopulation. (TOS: "The Mark of Gideon") Kirk was allergic to Retinax V; as a result, he needed to use old fashioned corrective lenses to adjust for his increasing farsightedness. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Relationships Friendships An approachable, gregarious individual, Kirk made many friends across a range of worlds and status, from the Hill dweller Tyree to Starfleet Admiral Harry Morrow. Those that shared his closest, personal confidence appear to be limited to a few, including Spock, Leonard McCoy and Gary Mitchell. The core group of talented officers that he assembled in his first years aboard the Enterprise would follow his call throughout their own careers, and were integral factors to his long success and lasting reputation. Spock .]] Kirk presumably first met his half-Vulcan science officer Spock upon succeeding Christopher Pike as Captain of the Enterprise in 2265. After the death of Gary Mitchell, Kirk came to depend on Spock's detached, logical analysis as a supplement to his own intuitive and impulsive nature. Their official relationship deepened into what may have been the most significant relationship of Kirk's life. As Edith Keeler observed of Spock's place in the world, "You? At his side. As if you've always been there and always will." (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever") That friendship grew, in spite of a few early incidents that brought them to blows. The polywater intoxication that affected the Enterprise crew in 2266, led to a difficult encounter between Kirk and his first officer. Needing Spock at a critical moment, Kirk found him in anguished reflection, regretting his inability to express love even for his mother. Trying to bring the first officer around to the moment, Kirk slapped him. Spock's reaction was flat and revelatory, "Jim, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed." Struck again, Spock responded in kind, sending Kirk backwards over a table. (TOS: "The Naked Time") Spock was sympathetic to Kirk's plight after the transporter divided the captain's personality into opposite aspects. He referred to his own halves, "submerged... constantly at war with each other". Spock believed that Kirk could survive such a contest intact, and urged him to embrace the part of himself that, seemingly ugly, was crucial to his personality and Captaincy. (TOS: "The Enemy Within") After Kirk discovered emotional rage was the key to nullifying the effect if of the Omicron pod plants, his first step in retrieving his crew was taunt Spock into anger. Anticipating the result of a Vulcan's strength pitted against him, Kirk wielded a pipe for protection. After calling him an "elf with a hyperactive thyroid" and that he belonged "in the circus, right next to the dog-faced boy", Spock indeed lost control, nearly killing Kirk before resuming command of himself. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise") In 2267, Spock began his Pon farr mating cycle, and behaved bizarrely aboard the Enterprise. Kirk called to Spock "the best First Officer in the Fleet" and "an asset I don't want to lose" as he pled with Spock to explain his actions. Joining him on Vulcan for his marriage ceremony, Kirk was drawn into T'Pring's scheme to marry another, and forced to fight Spock to the death. McCoy, knowing Kirk was endangered, faked Kirk's death, and the marriage was not consumated. Spock, despondent that he had murdered his captain, thrilled at the sight of Kirk alive, exclaiming, "JIM!". (TOS: "Amok Time") Kirk's understanding of Spock had an enormous impact on the parallel ''Mirror universe'', visited after a transporter accident in 2267. As Kirk's party prepared to return to their proper universe, Kirk implored the mirror-Spock to re-examine his role in the fascistic Terran Empire, insisting "One man can make a difference". Mirror-Spock's consideration of those words were followed by his rise to dominance and reform of the Empire, with drastic consequences. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror"; DS9: "Crossover") When Kirk was trapped in spatial interphase during a rescue operation in Tholian space, Spock ordered the Enterprise to maintain her position in an effort to retrieve him, in spite the danger presented by the Tholians and the disruptive nature of the local space. After Kirk's assumed death, Spock and McCoy viewed the 'last orders' Kirk had prepared. He urged Spock to use all the Vulcan disciplines at his disposal, tempered with intuitive insight. Kirk believed Spock had the latter qualities, but should they elude him, he was urged to seek out McCoy. (TOS: "The Tholian Web") At the end of the Enterprise's five-year mission, a period marked by his frequent loss of his emotional control, Spock chose to leave Starfleet and his friends, to pursue the Kolinahr discipline of logic on Vulcan. His return to Enterprise during the V'Ger threat was a cold event, without acknowledgment of his past friendships. In V'Ger's aftermath, Spock finally achieved equilibrium, able to express his friendship for Kirk without the influence of aliens or illness, and notably lacking any threat of physical violence. In 2285, Spock was calmly able to tell Kirk, "You're my superior officer. You are also my friend. I have been and always shall be yours." (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Spock's sacrifice of his own life, to save the "Enterprise" from Khan's detonation of the Genesis device, deeply affected Kirk. At his funeral, Kirk could only bring himself to say of Spock, "Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human." (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) The revelation that Spock's katra, his living spirit, survived in tormented mind of McCoy, led Kirk to risk his career, and in turn, his crew's. He first asked Admiral Harry Morrow for permission to retrieve Spock's body from the Genesis Planet, to bring it, and McCoy to Vulcan. Kirk insisted that any chance to save Spock's soul was his responsibility, "as surely as if it were my very own." His request declined, he told his crew, "the word is No. I am therefore going anyway." With the help of Uhura, Scotty, Sulu and Chekov, Kirk rescued McCoy from confinement and commandeered the Enterprise from Earth Spacedock. The renegade mission would see the death of Kirk's ship, and his son. Finding Spock's body re-animated by Genesis, Kirk brought him and McCoy, to Vulcan for the Fal-tor-pan (re-fusion) ritual. The first person Spock recognized was Kirk. "Jim. Your name, is Jim." (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Leonard McCoy .]] Doctor Leonard H. McCoy became Chief medical officer of the Enterprise after the departure of Dr. Mark Piper in 2265. Kirk formed an easy rapport with his new Doctor, giving him the moniker "Bones". Even after McCoy began a program of exhaustive (and exhausting) quarterly physicals and interfered with Kirk's usual diet, their friendship grew rapidly. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver") Kirk could count on McCoy to express exactly what he thought, whenever he thought it, frequently without a the courtesy of a question. McCoy questioned Kirk's decisions or presented his opinion, soon after he came aboard the Enterprise, until their imprisonment together on Rura Penthe. McCoy was often the sharpest observer of Kirk's actions and character. McCoy's earliest act of constructive insubordination occurred when the Enterprise faced the ominous ''Fesarius'' and Kirk seemed to be pushing a young Lieutenant David Bailey past his breaking point, McCoy let his opinion lose from beside the captain's chair, and Kirk barked an angry reply. Unintimidated, McCoy would repeat the behavior throughout his career, earning a wide latitude with Kirk. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver") The first time McCoy saved Jim Kirk's life wasn't in surgery, but (unusually for McCoy) by firing a phaser in 2266. When the Salt vampire of planet M-113 attacked Kirk, it appeared to McCoy as Nancy Crater, a past love and a particularly powerful impediment to inflict harm. With Spock's help, McCoy was able to see past the creature's camouflage, killing it before it killed Kirk. (TOS: "The Man Trap") During the original five-year mission, Kirk recorded a tape of last orders to be played by Commander Spock and Chief Medical Officer McCoy upon his death. He urged Spock and McCoy to give each other the same trust an loyalty they had each shown him. (TOS: "The Tholian Web") McCoy's retirement from Starfleet in 2170 ended abrubtly when Kirk, through Admiral Nogura, reactivated McCoy's commission for Enterprise's'' emergency V'Ger deployment. Kirk's plea, "Dammit Bones, I need you", ended McCoy's objection to the 'draft' and he assumed his usual duty station, hovering just behind the captain's chair. In 2285, McCoy advised a melancholic Kirk on his birthday, "Get back your command. Get it back before you really do grow old." "(Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)'' Kirk's drastic action taken to save Spock's katra was also an effort to save McCoy from the anguishing burden of bearing Spocks "marbles". After his moonlight requisition of the Enterprise resulted in her destruction, burning through the Genesis planet's atmosphere, Kirk asked, "My God, Bones... what have I done?" McCoy replied, "What you had to do. What you've always done. Turn death into a fighting chance to live." "(Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)'' Gary Mitchell in 2265.]] Kirk met a young Gary Mitchell in 2250, and the two would become fast friends following Mitchell's admission into the Academy. They would participate in the same class together, with Kirk holding the rank of lieutenant. Kirk's tenacity in this class would earn him the nickname "a stack of books with legs", and Mitchell would later recall how other cadets warned him to watch out for Lieutenant Kirk, since in his class, you were forced to "think or sink." In an attempt to divert his friend's attentions and make the class easier to get through, Mitchell set Kirk up with a "little blonde lab technician" whom Kirk would almost marry. Later in their careers, Kirk and Mitchell took part in a mission to planet Dimorus, where they encountered sentient rodent-like creatures that shot poisonous darts. Mitchell took one of the darts meant for Kirk, saving Kirk's life but nearly dying himself. Kirk and Mitchell also spent a wild shore leave together on Deneb IV. When Kirk was given command of the Enterprise, he asked Mitchell to come aboard to serve as his senior navigator. Mitchell was a part of Kirk's crew when the Enterprise departed for its five-year mission in 2265. Sadly, Kirk would be forced to kill his friend that same year when a fateful encounter with the galactic barrier mutated Mitchell into a godlike being. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") Montgomery Scott Montgomery Scott, the oldest of the Enterprise senior officers, was also the most consistently deferential to Kirk. While not included in Kirk's innermost circle with Spock and McCoy, Kirk had evident faith in Scotty's capabilities as an engineer. Kirk pushed the Enterprise past her known limits many times, and the technical genius of his devoutly loyal "Miracle Worker" was regularly the key to success. Scott and Kirk shared a passion for the Enterprise, but Scotty's was a simpler, less complicated love for his "bairns". (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") As the ship's second officer, commanding the Enterprise while Kirk led a landing party, Scotty's personal loyalty to Kirk served as a bulwark against various ambassadors or potentates who threatened mission success. Usually, Scotty refrained from taking the Captain's chair and hovered around the conn when left in command. He took the center seat only when the situation was critical; scaring a Klingon ship away from Capella IV, or defiantly facing down three Romulan battle cruisers and demanding his Captain's return. (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon", "Bread and Circuses", "Friday's Child", "The Enterprise Incident") .]] When escape from the Mirror universe via the transporter meant one of the Enterprise party had to stay behind to operate the controls, Scotty stoically volunteered. After Kirk overrode him, Scotty's one-word plea "Jim!" was one the few times he familiarly addressed Kirk. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror") Scotty kept his temper throughout Korax's of taunts and insults thrown at Kirk, but a cross word about the Enterprise led Scotty to throw the first punch in the K-7 bar-fight of 2267. When Kirk, a little incredulous that his engineer had failed to defend his honor, confined Scotty to quarters as punishment, the engineer beamed at the chance to catch up on technical manuals. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles") Kirk observed Scotty's infatuation with two young and attractive lieutenants, Carolyn Palamas and Mira Romaine, with bemused detachment at first, until the "stiff-necked thistle-head" abandoned his usual solid professionalism and required Kirk's stern, but affectionate, scolding. (TOS: "Who Mourns for Adonais?", "The Lights of Zetar") Kirk's socialization with Scotty outside of the call duty was rare. One exception, a visit to the flesh-pots of Argelius II, was a morale-boosting effort by Kirk on Scotty's behalf. If Scotty noticed the motivation, he didn't seem to care. Even after the horrific encounter with the Redjac entity, the "old Aberdeen pub-crawler" was eager to join Kirk on a second expedition to the planet. By 2285, Kirk knew enough about Scotty's off-duty habits to detect the residue of a 'wee bout' of shore leave at first glance. (TOS: "Wolf in the Fold"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) When the V'Ger threat forced the newly-refitted Enterprise into duty, Scotty protested with a litany of complaints about the rush and unready state of the starship. After Kirk revealed he had convinced Admiral Nogura to return his command, Scotty responded, "Any man, who could manage such a feat... I would'na dare disappoint. She'll launch on time, sir, and she'll be ready." (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) Hikaru Sulu Hikaru Sulu Uhura Uhura Pavel Chekov Pavel Chekov Janice Rand Starfleet assigned Janice Rand as Kirk's personal yeoman in 2266. Initially, he complained about the idea of a female yeoman, leading McCoy to flatly ask, "What's the matter Jim, don't you trust yourself?". Kirk said he already had a female to worry about, the Enterprise. Kirk warmed to Rand, and an undercurrent of sexual attraction between the two became obvious in stressful situations. Suffering from polywater intoxication in 2266, Kirk confided his attraction for Rand to Spock, later reaching out to her hesitantly, longing for a woman that he couldn't approach but for his duty. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", "The Naked Time") Part of Kirk reached out for her without hesitation. After a transporter split his personality, his violent, libidinous, side tried to sexually assault Rand, claiming she was "too much woman". Rand defended herself, leaving a large scratch on the duplicate's face, which helped the crew differentiate between the two Kirk "halves". After the situation was resolved, Rand continued as Kirk's yeoman until a reassignment in 2267. She returned to the Enterprise as transporter chief in 2270. (TOS: "The Enemy Within") (Star Trek: The Motion Picture) Willard Decker Willard Decker Ben Finney When Kirk was a midshipman, he befriended Academy instructor Lieutenant Ben Finney. Some time later, Kirk and Finney would serve together aboard the [[USS Republic|USS Republic]]. The two would become so close that Finney would name his daughter, Jame, after Kirk. A rift developed between the two friends while aboard the Republic when Kirk logged a mistake that Finney had made which could have caused the destruction of the ship. Because of this, Finney was put on reprimand and his name was sent to the bottom of the promotion list. Finney would blame Kirk for his subsequent inability to gain a command of his own. Though their friendship was effectively over, Lieutenant Commander Finney served aboard the Enterprise in 2267 as Records officer. Kirk was unaware that Finney's old grudge had been growing larger over the years, and Finney had passed into madness. To take his revenge, he staged his own death and manufactured evidence of Kirk's negligence. Finney was successful to a point, and Kirk became the first Federation Starfleet starship commander brought before a Court Martial. With the help of the eccentric lawyer Samuel T. Cogley and Mr. Spock, Finney's deception was revealed and charges against Kirk were lifted. Finney was arrested and faced trial, represented by Mr. Cogley. (TOS: "Court Martial") Romances in 2252.]] in 2262.]] Helen Noel in 2266.]] in 1930.]] in 2268.]] in 2269.]] Kirk was notably successful in attracting women, and enthusiastic in their pursuit. By design or coincidence, his most significant affairs were with women fundamentally incompatible with with his life in Starfleet. In weighing the balance of starship vs. a settled home life, the gross tonnage of the Enterprise usually tipped the scale. In 2252, while still attending the Academy, Kirk was romantically involved with a woman named Ruth. In 2267, he would be greeted by a replica of Ruth created by the Amusement Park planet in the Omicron Delta region. Kirk was also involved with Janice Lester while attending the Academy. The two would be reunited in a truly bizarre manner in 2269, when Lester, extremely jealous of Kirk's successful career, traded her consciousness with that of Kirk's to take his place as captain of the Enterprise. (TOS: "Shore Leave", "Turnabout Intruder") In 2261, Kirk was involved with Dr. Carol Marcus. The two had a child, David Marcus, but Kirk and Carol did not remain together, because their respective careers took them in separate directions. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) Kirk was also involved with the future Janet Wallace in 2261; this relationship was also called off due to their difference in careers. In 2262, Kirk's would break off his relationship with Areel Shaw. Shaw would become the prosecutor in Kirk's court martial four years later, but was pleased when she lost the case and Kirk was exonerated of any wrongdoing. (TOS: "The Deadly Years", "Court Martial") During an Enterprise lab's Christmas party in 2265, Kirk engaged in brief flirtation that ended unsatisfactorily for Kirk, who exhibited irritation when she was assigned by McCoy to help Kirk investigate Tantalus Penal Colony. Testing the neural neutralizer, Noel conditions Kirk to believe that their previous encounter was a sweeping romance. Captured by the colony's mad Doctor Tristan Adams, he uses the suggestion of love, and loss, of Noel, to torture Kirk. Noel is later able to participate in Kirk's defeat of Adams. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind") In 2267, Kirk and Spock traveled back to the 1930s to repair damage to the timeline accidently caused by Leonard McCoy. While searching for McCoy in the past, Kirk met and fell in love with social worker Edith Keeler. Unfortunately, Keeler was found to be the focal point in history changed by McCoy: Kirk was forced to allow Keeler to die in order to restore the timeline. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever") In the line of duty, to recover the Enterprise hijacked by Kelvans, Kirk seduces Kelinda in order to arouse jeaously in her commander, Rojan. Kelinda recognized Kirk's attempt at seduction, and welcomed his continued efforts. (TOS: "By Any Other Name") Deela was Queen of the (infertile) Scalosians who hijacked the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]] in 2268. They planned to use the ship's male crew as a gene pool so her race could continue. Deela choose Kirk as her consort, who, along with the help of Spock was able to stop her plan. (TOS: "Wink of an Eye") In 2268, Kirk, suffering from amnesia, fell in love and married Miramanee, the tribal priestess of a Native American tribe, on the planet Amerind. Miramanee would subsequently become pregnant with Kirk's child, but both she and the unborn child would both be killed when she and Kirk were stoned during a local power struggle. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") After Kirk's competition Flint for the love of the android Rayna Kapec resulted in her destruction, Kirk was heartbroken, but quickly, he mysteriously forgot the incident. (TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah") In 2285, Kirk was briefly united with Dr. Carol Marcus. ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan") Kirk fell in love with Antonia after his first retirement from Starfleet. The two lived together for some time before Kirk decided to rejoin Starfleet. For the rest of his life, he regretted not having proposed to her. ("Star Trek: Generations") Family Kirk never mentioned his family beyond his brother, George Samuel Kirk and nephews. The Kirk family seemed to have an affinity for frontier life. Kirk was living on Tarsus IV by the age of 13, and his brother's family lived on Deneva colony in 2267. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King", "Operation -- Annihilate!") George (only called "Sam" by his brother) was a researcher, hoping to for transfer to the Earth Colony 2 research station in 2265. Sam, his wife Aurelan, and one of his two sons, ended up on planet Deneva by 2267. Sam and Aurelen were killed by neural parasites that invaded Deneva that year. Kirk's nephew, Peter Kirk survived the attack. (TOS: "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", "Operation -- Annihilate!") Kirk acknowledged the impact of a life in Starfleet had on family life. In 2287, while camping with his friends in Yosemite, he referred to himself, Spock, and McCoy, as the only family men like themselves were likely to have. (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) David Marcus in 2284.]] Kirk's romance with Carol Marcus produced a son, David Marcus. At Carol's request, Kirk stayed out of David's early life. David knew something of Kirk, referring to him as "the over-grown boy scout" his mother used to know, but not that Kirk was his father. Carol kept David's father's identity a secret, fearing that Kirk's adventurous life would draw David away from her. In spite of the separation, Carol told Kirk that David was "a lot like you, in many ways." In 2285, David was working with his mother at the Federation research station Regula I as part of a team developing Project Genesis when the station was attacked by Khan Noonien Singh. After fleeing to the Regula planetoid, Kirk rescued David and his mother. Thinking Kirk was responsible for the slaughter of his co-workers, David attacked his father with a knife unsuccessfully. Kirk did not immediately recognize David at their awkward meeting, and later became melancholy when considering an alternate life as a father. After witnessing Kirk's victory at the Battle of the Mutara Nebula and the funeral for Spock, David consoled his father and admitted he was "proud, very proud, to be your son." (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) in 2286.]] In 2286, David was an advisor on the starship [[USS Grissom|USS Grissom]], researching the Genesis Planet he had helped create. The Klingon Commander Kruge arrived in a Bird of Prey, seeking Genesis. Kruge destroyed the Grissom and his warriors captured David, Lt. Saavik, and Spock on the surface. After Kirk's arrival, Kruge ordered the execution of one of the hostages. As a Klingon was about to kill Lt. Saavik, David intervened, wresting the warrior briefly before he was killed with a stab to the chest. The news of David's death led Kirk to stumble to the deck in grief, repeating, "you Klingon bastard, you've killed my son." Kirk subsequently killed the Klingon crew, including Captain Kruge in hand-to-hand combat, sparing only Maltz. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Kirk kept David's memory close, with a picture of his son in his quarters aboard the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise-A]]. Kirk's opinion of Klingons, once enemies he could occasionally respect and even share a laugh with, grew into hatred. In 2293, he logged "I've never been able been able to forgive them for the death of my son." When Spock told him the Klingon race was facing death, Kirk angrily responded, "let them die." (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) Awards and Honors .]] :Palm Leaf of Axanar Peace Mission : Grankite Order of Tactics (Class of Excellence) :Prentares Ribbon of Commendation (Classes First and Second) :Starfleet Medal of Honor :Starfleet Silver Palm (with cluster) :Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry :Karagite Order of Heroism :Leonard James Akaar - The Teer of Capella IV bears the name of McCoy and Kirk. :[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-A) - A starship was re-christened in recognition of his service, bearing the registration number of his original command, an honor carried on for generations. (TOS: "Court Martial"; "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home") Key Dates * 2233: Born in Riverside, Iowa on Earth. * 2246: On Tarsus IV, is one of nine witnesses to massacre ordered by Governor Kodos. * 2250: Enters Starfleet Academy as a Cadet. (conjecture) Meets Gary Mitchell. * 2252: Is romantically involved with Ruth. * 2254: Graduates from Academy after beating the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario. (conjecture) Assigned under command of Captain Garrovick. Commands his first away mission, a survey on planet Neural. * Early to mid-2250s: As an Ensign, is assigned aboard [[USS Republic|USS Republic]], along with Lieutenant Ben Finney. Kirk also participates in the Axanar Peace Mission. * 2257: Encounters dikironium cloud creature while serving abouard the USS Farragut. * 2261: Relationship with Carol Marcus ends; their son, David Marcus, is born. (conjecture) Kirk breaks off relationship with Janet Wallace. * 2263: Breaks off relationship with Areel Shaw. * 2265 - 2270: As Captain, commands five-year mission of USS Enterprise. Specific accomplishments include: : 2265: Takes the USS Enterprise across the galactic barrier, the first Earth ship to do so in 200 years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend Gary Mitchell. : 2266: Achieves first contact with the First Federation led by Balok. Later that year, destroys a Romulan Bird-of-Prey which has crossed the Romulan Neutral Zone and attacked several Federation outposts. : 2267: Becomes the first Starfleet Captain ever to stand trial when he is court martialed for negligent homicide in the death of Ben Finney. During the trial Finney is found to be alive. : 2268: Responsible for stealing a Romulan cloaking device during a covert Starfleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lives among the American Indians on Amerind where he weds Miramanee. : 2269: Diverts the asteroid-ship "Yonada" from destroying Daran V. * 2270: Promoted to Rear Admiral and assigned as Chief of Starfleet Operations. * 2272/2273: Accepts temporary grade reduction to Captain and assumes command of USS Enterprise to intercept V'Ger. * 2281: Retires from Starfleet. * 2284: Returns to Starfleet as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. * 2285: Assumes temporary command of the Enterprise during a routine training mission, engages Khan Noonien Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula. Deserts from Starfleet later that year to retrieve body of Captain Spock from Genesis Planet. * 2286: Returns to Earth to face court martial charges. Subsequently saves the planet in the Whale Probe incident. Demoted to Captain for disobeying orders of Starfleet Commander Harry Morrow and assigned to command the USS Enterprise-A. * 2287: Takes the Enterprise to the center of the galaxy after a hijack attempt by Vulcan renegade Sybok. * 2293: Responsible for saving the Khitomer Conference, along with Captain Hikaru Sulu of the [[USS Excelsior|USS Excelsior]]; retired by Starfleet and is believed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise-B]]. * 2371: Found alive inside the Nexus by Jean-Luc Picard. Killed by Tolian Soran while defeating his plans and saving planet Veridian III. Memorable Quotes :see James T. Kirk Quotes Appenndices Background Gene Roddenberry, in his original pitch to television producers, described the character (originally named Robert April, then Christopher Pike) that would be eventually known as Captain Kirk: :''The "skipper", about thirty-four, Academy graduate, rank of Captain... a shorthand sketch of Robert April might be "A space-age Captain Horatio Hornblower", lean and capable both mentally and physically. :''A colorfully complex personality, he is capable of action and decision that can verge on the heroic -- and at the same time lives a continual battle with self-doubt and the loneliness of command. :''As with similar men in the past (Drake, Cook, Bougainville and Scott), his primary weakness is a predilection to action over administration, a temptation to take the greatest risks onto himself. But, unlike most early explorers, he was an almost compulsive compassion for the plight of others, alien as well as human, and must continually fight the temptation to risk many to save one. James T. Kirk was played by actor William Shatner throughout TOS, TAS and the first seven films. The only episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: The Animated Series in which Kirk does not appear are the first pilot, "The Cage", and the animated episode "The Slaver Weapon". William Shatner was not the first choice to play Kirk. The producers first approached actors Lloyd Bridges and Jack Lord for the role; both turned it down. Both Bridges and Lord have since passed away. Actress Sandra Smith also played Captain Kirk (in Janice Lester's body) in "Turnabout Intruder" (TOS). Etymology "James", derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, means "grasps the heel" or "grasps the bottom"; a colloquial equivalent would be "he gets it" or even "he groks". "Tiberius", was first identified in the animated episode "Bem", and mentioned again in "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country". Tiberius Caesar Augustus was the second Roman Emperor, known for his darkness and corruption, from the death of Augustus in 14 AD until his death in 37 AD. ''Tiber is the Latin name for the river that runs through the city of Rome. "Kirk" is the Lowland Scots word for "Church". Ambiguities Accepted canon regarding Kirk's early life before the Enterprise, and gaps between events portrayed in films, are scarce and ambiguous. The following notes attempt to reconcile the "mysteries" of Kirk and canon, but these questions may never be satisfactorily answered. Birth *Many have speculated and have accepted the date of March 22nd to be Kirk's birthday, as it is also the birthday of William Shatner, the actor who portrayed Kirk. However, this date has not been mentioned on-screen and is therefore unofficial and non-canon.'' *Kirk's birthplace of Riverside was also never fully canonically established on screen, but it is accepted as canon. The real life town of Riverside "claimed" Kirk after "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" established that Kirk was born in Iowa, and with Gene Roddenberry's consent, developed a tourist industry around this idea.'' Mitchell Madness *Mitchell's recollections of Kirk at the Academy can be interpreted differently. One interpretation is that Kirk was an instructor (or student instructor) and Mitchell one of his students. Another interpretation has Kirk as a classmate of Mitchell's, a bookworm who proved difficult to keep up with in class. Dialogue from the episode does little to make it clear which is the case. *The "little blonde lab technician" mentioned by Mitchell was later thought by some to be a reference to Carol Marcus; however, it could just as easily be a reference to Janet Wallace or Ruth or some other woman with whom Kirk was involved. Though, given that Kirk had a son with Marcus, it would make sense that she might be the one he almost married.'' *According to the infamous and incorrect "James R. Kirk" tombstone, created by Gary Mitchell in TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Kirk was born on stardate 1277.1. That could have been the stardate Kirk actually assumed command of the Enterprise, with its place on the tombstone being part of Mitchell's morbid sense of humor.'' Republic and Farragut *Many believe that Kirk was serving aboard the USS Farragut during his 2254 mission to Neural, although that was never established. *According to many sources, including the Star Trek Chronology, Kirk's tour-of-duty aboard the Republic and the incident with Finney took place while Kirk was still an Academy cadet, albeit with the brevet rank of ensign. However, dialogue from the "Court Martial" episode neither supports nor refutes this conclusion. It is also unknown whether Kirk's assignment aboard the Republic took place before or after his term on the Farragut. *Kirk's rank aboard the Republic is that of ensign; it is mentioned in TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before" that he was a lieutenant while serving in the Academy but not clarified if this means a midshipman lieutenant or a regular one. This is the reason many speculate Kirk to have received the brevet rank of ensign while at the Academy and that his tour-of-duty aboard the Republic took place prior to his graduation. However, as stated above, none of the episodes neither support or refute this conclusion. *It is unclear from the episodes whether Kirk '''first served under Garrovick aboard the Farragut, since Kirk only stated that Garrovick had been his commanding officer since graduation. Whether Kirk's assignment to Neural took place while serving aboard the Farragut is also unknown, however, many believe that it took place while Kirk was assigned to that vessel. Later Enterprise Missions *Kirk's second five-year mission in command of the Enterprise, following the V'Ger incident, was never canonically established, but it is widely accepted by fans based on the fact that Star Trek: Phase II was to depict a new five-year mission; that show was abandoned and its pilot episode became "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", while two other scripts were recycled for the second season of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" when a writer's strike hampered production.'' *Kirk retained the rank of rear admiral from 2270 until his demotion in 2286. Traditionally, flag officers do not command just a single ship. After the V'Ger incident and before his brief retirement in 2281, Kirk may have been in command of a squadron or fleet of starships, with the Enterprise as his flagship. Apocrypha Outside of filmed canon productions, the character of Kirk has appeared in many novels, comics, games and collectibles. While Kirk is the hero of nearly every TOS novel, he is notably the star of a series of novels by William Shatner (with Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens) which stars Kirk, reborn after his 24th century death. Shatner and the Reeves-Stevens' novels are part of the Pocket TOS series. Kirk, James Kirk, James Kirk, James Kirk, James T. de:James T. Kirk fr:James T. Kirk nl:James T. Kirk